Touchdowns & Punchlines

[instrumental intro] [verse 1] It was ninety-five degrees, but the night felt cold,
In a downtown lounge where the quiet ones hold
Court in the corners, half-shadow, half-smoke,
Where the jukebox sleeps and the jazzmen spoke. [interlude] [verse 2] Carlin sat crooked with a scotch in his hand,
Grumbling at napkins like they’d understand.
Muttering, “Why do we park in a driveway, man?”
Eyes sharp as razors, heart soft as sand. Then came Fitz, like a verse in stride,
Moving through the door like a smooth bass line.
Tailored in charcoal, wristwatch gold,
With a legend’s silence, a presence bold. [chorus] Touchdowns and punchlines, Two ways to redefine time. One makes ‘em laugh ‘til the world makes sense, One moves through chaos with elegance. Touchdowns and punchlines, Both chasing a grand design, In a room where silence weighs like sin— That’s where the stories begin. [interlude] [verse 3] “Let me guess,” said George without breaking his stare,
“You run fast, catch dreams outta thin air.”
Fitz laughed soft, slid onto the stool,
Said, “And you? You break the rules and make it cool.” “You a wideout?” Carlin said, voice low.
“Yessir,” Fitz nodded. “Ran routes, took blows.”
“And I ran rants,” Carlin leaned in with a grin,
“Dodged censors, caught flak, still got the win.” [pre-chorus1] “You know,” Fitz said, “we’re not so far apart.
You read defenses. I read hearts.
You throw jabs. I toe lines.
Both gotta feel pressure in real time.” [chorus] Touchdowns and punchlines, Truth in every yard or rhyme. One dives for the catch, breaks the fall, The other breaks minds, one joke at a time. Touchdowns and punchlines, Same rhythm, same climb. Two paths, same fire in the chest— Trying to leave the world better, nothing less. [solo] [pre-chorus2] “Ever think about legacy?” Fitz asked slow,
“In the quiet, when there’s nowhere left to go?”
Carlin nodded, eyes glassed like dew,
“I wanted ‘em thinking. You? You showed ‘em what’s true.” They sat in the silence that follows the real,
The kind of hush you can taste, you can feel.
“The game ends,” said Fitz, “but the story don’t fade.”
Carlin smiled: “We just remix the plays.” [chorus] Touchdowns and punchlines, Footprints left behind. One in cleats, one in rhyme, But both out to bend the line. Touchdowns and punchlines, When the lights decline— They’ll say they saw fire and grace collide, In a Phoenix lounge, side by side. [instrumental outro]